Owen Farrell spearheaded a momentous win in this crunch Heineken Cup tie thanks to a record-breaking display with the boot to leave Saracens with one foot in the quarter-finals.

The England stand off continued with the form that saw him impress against New Zealand in November by converting all 11 kicks at goal —ten penalties and a conversion — to end the evening at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes with a personal tally of 32 points.

His last kick, an 80th-minute penalty, not only took away a losing bonus for Racing Metro that ended the French team’s hopes of qualification into the knockout stages but also broke a Heineken Cup record.

Getting his kicks: Farrel Owen fires over another penalty in Nantes

Ashton can't match the kick machine

Owen Farrell produced one of the great European displays (left and below) but England colleague Chris Ashton did not enjoy such a good day.

Ashton, who has struggled with disciplinary issues, was sent to the sin bin by referee Alain Rolland in the 55th minute for aiming a punch at Fabrice Estebanez.

Ashton was also at fault for a try when spilling a high ball.

Farrell had kicked the most penalties
in a game to beat the record of nine by France’s Thierry Lacroix and
Italy’s Diego Dominguez.

Farrell’s efforts together with Chris
Wyles’ second-half try were just enough to see off a Racing side who had
threatened to overrun Saracens in the first half.

In the end, they had no answer to
Farrell’s perfection, and he said: ‘When you’re striking the ball that
well and you get into that kind of groove, then you feel as if you’ll
never miss all day. The win showed how we play for 80 minutes and always
believe that we will come through.’

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall
was effusive about a player who has now landed his last 31 kicks at
goal in all competitions.

‘Owen’s goal kicking and game
management were exemplary,’ said McCall. ‘Together with an outstanding
second half, it saw us come back from some big early setbacks.’

And yet Saracens could not have made a
worse start. Within three minutes, they had lost one of their star
England wingers when David Strettle was carried off on a stretcher and
wearing a neck brace.

Replays revealed that in chasing a
bobbling ball, Strettle was felled by a stiff-arm challenge around his
head and neck by Racing centre Fabrice Estebanez. He fell face down into
the turf, but later would join in the team’s victory celebrations,
seemingly unaffected.

Referee Alain Rolland took no action, but the incident is certain to be investigated by the citing officer.

On the run: Brits Schalk is tackled by Racing Metro's Alvaro Galino and Fabrice Estebanez

Racing appeared up for this from the
moment they sprinted out at the start. It would only take four minutes
for the nouveau riche team from Paris to score when tighthead prop Luc
Ducalcon bulldozed his way over from close range.

Scrum half Sebastien Descons converted and the team that won at Toulon last week in the French Top 14 led by seven points.

Farrell reduced the arrears with an
11th-minute penalty, but Racing struck again five minutes later when
Juan Imhoff raced clear to score from 30 metres.

Masi Matadigo had capitalised from a
high ball bouncing off Chris Ashton’s knee before Juan-Martin Hernandez
sent the right winger away with a long, looping pass.

Farrell found the target again with a
second penalty, but the French aristocrats, staging this home game in
Nantes rather than Paris, scored a third try in 13 minutes when
Hernandez produced more silky skills.

He eluded Joel Tomkins and sent Imhoff clear again after drawing his man.

Again Farrell chipped away with a
third penalty, but Saracens’s lot appeared to worsen when openside Will
Fraser was sent to the sin bin for a late hit on Hernandez after the
Argentinian star’s up-and-under.

On the ball: Sirelli Bobo escapes from Chris Ashton

Descons scored with the penalty, but
the English side enjoyed the better of the last ten minutes of the half
after Racing lock Jone Nailiko also received a yellow card for a late
shoulder charge on Farrell. The England stand off, favourite to start
against Scotland in the Calcutta Cup, picked himself up to kick three
late penalties.

Despite Racing’s three-tries-to-nil
advantage, Saracens went in at the interval only seven points down and
still very much in with a chance in this pulsating contest.

Six minutes after the break they drew
level when Tomkins fed full back Chris Wyles and the American cut inside
to score close enough to the posts to make Farrell’s conversion a
formality.

On the ball: Farrell prepares to be challenged by Benjamin Fall and Jone Qovu Nailiko

The precocious stand off then kicked
Saracens ahead for the first time with yet another penalty, but the game
would take another twist in the 56th minute when Ashton was shown a
yellow card for a shove in Fabrice Estebanez’s face.

As the encounter became more
fractious, Descons equalised with the resulting penalty but Saracens
sensed the win was now there for the taking.

Farrell rounded off a magnificent
day’s work by landing three further penalties in the 62nd, 73rd and
80th minutes to complete the most impressive of victories.

With just out-of-form Edinburgh to come next week at Vicarage Road, a quarter-final is all but in the bag for Saracens.

Meanwhile, Farrell has all but ensured that the England number ten jersey will stay firmly on his back.